Firefighter Salary in District Of Columbia (2026)
The average Firefighter in District Of Columbia earns around $80,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $61,279/year ($5,107/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $61,279 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $5,107 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,357 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $29/hr |
Federal Tax | $8,770 |
State Tax | $3,832 |
FICA Taxes | $6,120 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 23.4% |
Want to model 401(k), HSA, or pre-tax contributions against your full salary? Open the salary calculator →
Working overtime? The 2025 OBBBA deduction may save you up to $12,500 on federal tax. Open the No Tax on Overtime calculator →
1099 contract work or side gigs? Self-employment tax adds 15.3% on top. Open the 1099 tax calculator →
Firefighter Salary Ranges in District Of Columbia
Not all Firefighters earn the same — not even close
DC's firefighter market is anchored by DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department DC FEMS (~2K career firefighters + ~36 fire stations + the substantial DC FEMS as one of country's substantial US urban fire departments + IAFF Local 36 Washington DC collective bargaining + the substantial DC FEMS post-2020 substantial growth + the substantial DC FEMS Hazardous Materials + Tunnel + Hazmat + Marine + Technical Rescue specialty teams), DC ARFF aviation fire (Reagan Washington National Airport DCA + Dulles International IAD Northern Virginia cross-border ARFF + the substantial DC capital aviation fire), DC federal civilian fire (US Park Police + United States Capitol Police + United States Park Service + Smithsonian + Federal Triangle GSA + Capitol Hill + White House + Joint Base Andrews + the substantial DC federal civilian fire), DC industrial + cleared fire (Smithsonian + federal building industrial fire brigade), DC hospitality + commercial fire (post-2020 DC hospitality + commercial fire + the substantial DC luxury hotel fire response), plus DC Retirement Board DCRB Police and Fire Plan pension + the substantial DC firefighter pension.
Sr Captain / Battalion Chief (DC FEMS)
$118,000–$185,000+ OT
Sr officer at DC FEMS · the substantial DC FEMS post-2020 substantial growth
Sr Firefighter (Step 10+ / DC FEMS)
$92,000–$138,000+ OT
Senior FF at DC FEMS · top-of-scale · OT premium + the substantial
Sr Paramedic-Firefighter
$98,000–$148,000+ OT
Dual-cert FF/Paramedic · DC FEMS · NREMT-Paramedic + Advanced Cardiac
Sr ARFF (Reagan DCA / Dulles IAD cross-border)
$92,000–$142,000+ OT
DCA + IAD cross-border + Joint Base Andrews ARFF · DC capital aviation
Sr Federal Firefighter (Smithsonian / Capitol / White House)
$92,000–$142,000+ OT
Smithsonian + Federal Triangle GSA + Capitol Hill + White House federal civilian
Sr Federal Firefighter (Joint Base Andrews)
$95,000–$148,000+ OT
Joint Base Andrews · Air Force One + 89th AW · federal civilian + cleared
Sr Industrial / Tunnel Firefighter
$95,000–$148,000+ OT
DC industrial fire brigade + WMATA tunnel fire + Smithsonian industrial
Sr Hazmat Specialist
$98,000–$152,000+ OT + hazard
DC FEMS Hazmat + chemical + biological + nuclear · DC capital + federal
Sr Fire Marshal / Investigator
$98,000–$152,000+ OT
DC Fire Marshal + DC FEMS investigations + arson + the substantial
New Career Firefighter (Step 1-4)
$65,000–$85,000+ OT
New career FF · DCRB Police and Fire Plan membership at hire
Worth knowing: DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department DC FEMS + IAFF Local 36 Washington DC + DC ARFF (Reagan DCA + Dulles IAD cross-border + Joint Base Andrews) + DC federal civilian fire (Smithsonian + Federal Triangle GSA + Capitol Hill + White House + Air Force One Joint Base Andrews) tetra-anchor is one of the country's distinctive concentrated US single-state capital + cleared federal + cross-border airport + ANG + Air Force One firefighter cluster and a feature most national firefighter surveys understate for DC. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department DC FEMS (~2K career firefighters + ~36 fire stations + the substantial DC FEMS as one of country's substantial US urban fire departments + IAFF Local 36 Washington DC collective bargaining + the substantial DC FEMS Hazardous Materials + Tunnel + Hazmat + Marine + Technical Rescue specialty teams). DC ARFF aviation fire (Reagan Washington National Airport DCA + Dulles International IAD Northern Virginia cross-border + Joint Base Andrews ARFF). DC federal civilian fire (US Park Police + United States Capitol Police + United States Park Service + Smithsonian + Federal Triangle GSA + Capitol Hill + White House + Joint Base Andrews + the substantial DC federal civilian fire). DC industrial + cleared fire. DC hospitality + commercial fire. DCRB DC Retirement Board Police and Fire Plan pension. The 2025 No Tax on Overtime federal deduction applies through 2028. DC NOT a RTW state + DC progressive top 10.75% + DC NLC since 2024 anchor the DC firefighter proposition.
Calculate Your Exact Take-Home Pay
Add 401(k) contributions, HSA, dependents, and more to see your personalized take-home.
Open Full CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about your taxes and our calculator.
Compare Two States
See how income tax, take-home pay, and total tax burden differ between any two US states side by side.
State 1
State 2
Firefighter Salary in Other States
More on District Of Columbia
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for District Of Columbia in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for District Of Columbia in 2026.
Adjust filing status, 401(k) for your exact 2026 take-home in District Of Columbia.